Escape to New York
by dickard23
Summary: Clare manages to get permission from Helen to visit Eli at NYU. It is his birthday, and she is going there to give him a present that only she can, but when she gets to his apartment, things aren't how she had thought they would be. Does Eli win her back or does he lose his chance with the one girl he's wanted for so long?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Assume the Degrassi canon with the following changes. Clare didn't sleep with Eli or get cancer. Adam didn't break up with Becky or wreck the car. Clare knows Eli's living with Lenore, and she's a lesbian. Any other changes will be told in the story.

* * *

"Are you ready to go, Clare?"

"I need 5 more minutes, Mom!"

"Okay, Dear!"

Clare was getting ready to visit Eli at NYU for his birthday. It was a surprise and what a surprise it would be. She had been planning this with his roommate Lenore, who she was weirded out by at first, especially since she was really pretty, but she's really cool (and a lesbian). Lenore picked up wine, chocolate, rose petals and candles for tonight. If it wasn't obvious, Clare was giving Eli her virginity tonight. He was going to be so thrilled.

She got the last of her stuff in her bag and ran downstairs. She was so excited, she almost ran into Jake, who had come home to help his father with a project. He didn't want to go to college, but he agreed to go to trade school. His first discipline was welding. Jake wouldn't admit it, but he loved it, and Clare wouldn't admit it, but she suggested it to Glen.

"Have fun, Sis," Jake teased, knowing of her plan.

"You too, Jake."

Clare said goodbye to Glen, and she got in the car with her mom.

They talked in the car. "Be careful, Honey. New York is a big city; it can be really dangerous."

"Don't worry. His roommates picking me up from the airport and bringing be to his room. I won't be alone."

"Well call me as soon as you land and again when you get to his apartment."

"I will, Mom. She hugged her. It was time for Clare to go."

* * *

This would be her first time in the United States. She was so excited. She went through customs and got on the plane. She sat next to a married couple on the flight. They were celebrating their anniversary in New York. How sweet! Clare hoped that she and Eli would be like this one day. The flight was short, barely 2 hours. She went through customs again and here she was, in Newark, NJ. Not exactly the sexiest title, but whatever. She did what Lenore told her to do and got on the NJ transit to NY Penn Station. She went to the Jamba Juice, and there Lenore was.

"Hey Clare. It's great to finally meet you." She greeted her with a hug, and they proceeded to walk to the metro. They got on the subway and chatted about girl stuff. They get to their stop and here it is NYU. Lenore starts pointing out hangout spots, where to get bagels, study, the bars they like. Soon, their in the student apartment. Lenore calls Eli to see were he is, and Clare calls her mom to let her know she's at the apartment.

"I'm in the library, can't talk now. I'll be back at 8PM."

"See you later."

Clare goes to her wallet and gets out money to pay Lenore for the items. They go out for some real NY Pizza. Lenore takes her to Grimaldi's, and they share a pepperoni and capers pizza. It was amazing. Clare could really love NYC. Columbia was looking really good right now. After the pizza, they take off for the apartment. Time to get ready for Eli. Lenore had stealthily stolen his spare room key. Clare takes it and goes to open Eli's door to set up for their night of love.

As it turns out, Eli was in his room, with another woman, in his bed, having sex if that wasn't obvious. Clare screams and runs out.

"Clare?" FUCK! Why was she here? How did she get to NYC or into his room! Before he can get answers, she ran out crying, barely remembering to grab her bag as she took off.

Lenore was stunned. She ran into his room! "The FUCK are you doing?"

Eli has on pants at this point. "What's going on?"

"Clare flew from Toronto to surprise you for your birthday, you asshole."

"You just gave her my room key?"

"You said you were in the library not banging some bitch."

"Hey I'm not a …."

"Shut up!" they both yell at her.

Clare just took off running, trying to get away, but it's dark, and she has no clue where she is. It was drizziling when she ran out, but now it's pouring. She's got no umbrella and she's scared. Her eyes are swollen with tears, and she's starting to get cold.

Dale and his friends just got beer for their party. He was visiting his friend, Kirk, at NYU, and his Kirk's friends would be joining them. He was getting his beer in the car, when he saw a pretty girl, who was soaked sitting in a bus stop. He put his beer in the trunk and went up to her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Do you have anywhere to go?"

She didn't answer. Clearly, she did not.

"You should come with us."

"I don't know you."

"You don't, but if you stay here, you'll stay cold, wet and around a city full of people you don't know. Your odds are better with us. I'm Dale, Dale Howard."

"I'm Clare. Aren't you a bit old to be trying to pick up a high school girl." This man was tall, almost 2 meters tall, dark hair, eyes, broad chest and shoulders.

"I'm only 17. I'm a senior in high school."

"You're in high school," she said, incredulously.

He handed her his drivers' license. He was from California, and was 17, December 13, 1995.

"Well, imagine that?"

"Come on. We'll get you some dry clothes."

Clare already had other clothes, but she was not sure if she would get a better option, Clare gets into the car.

"This is Kirk," Dale tells her. "Kirk, this is Clare." Kirk had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. He had no mustache but some scruff for a beard. She couldn't see much else of him through the mirror.

"Hi Clare. How did you end up out here? It's pouring."

"Long story," one she did not want to relive. They got to Kirk's apartment. She went to go change. Dale put the beer in the fridge.

* * *

Clare was relieved to be dry and warm, but now that she was, the reality of her situation sank in again. She started to cry. Dale got her some tissues and took her hand in his. His hands were huge and strong. She leaned back, and he just let her fall onto him as she cried. He didn't ask her any questions. Eventually, she started to tell her story.

"Eli has been my boyfriend, on and off for about two years now. He was there for me when my parents split up, and he promised me we wouldn't end up like them, but we did. My dad left because he was having an affair. Today was Eli's birthday, and I flew here to surprise him. Tonight was supposed to be our first time, and his roommate helped me get everything, (the rose petals, chocolate, wine, candles) but when I got to his room, he was with another woman. I just feel so dumb. I even got a job at the Dot, so I could save up for this weekend, and all of this time, he didn't even want me anymore." Her tears came back.

Dale's fingers ran through her hair as her head fell to his shoulder. "You're going to be just fine. It's his loss." Dale never had a girlfriend who was ready to do anything like this for his birthday, or any day really. What a jerk this guy was!

Clare kept crying until she noticed Dale's thumb rubbing her hand, it felt nice. Kirk overheard their conversion, but he didn't want to interrupt, so he went in his room, and began to call his friends.

"Maybe we should reschedule."

"What happened?"

He explained how they found this girl, and she was crying and she just broke up with her boyfriend who she flew to see from Toronto.

"We should definitely come over; take her mind off the jerk and show her a good time. We're in the world's best city. No reason to cry over an asshole."

"Alright. Party it is."

Lenore was pissed. She helped Clare do all of this stuff for Eli, and he just turned out to be a total cad. She felt betrayed too, even though she wasn't the one he cheated on. All those times he said he was studying and she would tell Clare that he wasn't there, he was probably fucking some bimbo. She had grown to like Clare and didn't like the fact that she was an accomplice in his crap.

Eli didn't know what to do. He didn't want to break up with Clare, but that seemed inevitable now. He didn't even go after her. He loved her, well he thought he had loved her, but he hadn't had sex in years. It was time for him to have a more "adult" relationship. Clare just wasn't ready for one. Lenore didn't come out of her room for the rest of the night. Great, more roommate drama.

Dale and Clare got to talking about their favorite books and movies and Dale couldn't believe that Clare had never seen Howl's Moving Castle. He had to remedy this. They only got half way through the movie before the doorbell rang.

Kirk got the door. It was Jenny and Steve, classmates of his since high school. "Hey guys."

Steve showed up with a bottle of rum, and Jenny had some weed in her purse.

"Dale, Clare, this is Steve and Jenny." Steve was from Hong Kong, until he moved to NYC when his dad got a job at Merrill Lynch. Jenny was a native NYC girl, who never planned to leave. She liked traveling, of course, but the big Apple would always be home. Dale got up to shake their hands. Clare was a bit shy and waved from across the room. It was adorable. Suddenly, everyone heard a rumble.

"Time to eat," said Dale. "Who wants pizza?"

He called in an order as more people spilled into the apartment. They got their drinks in hand and started chatting. Clare was mostly a wallflower, hearing the conversations of Kirk's friends, who seemed like a fun crowd. She wondered if they were the popular kids when they went to high school.

Steve asked Clare what Toronto was like, and before she could answer, the doorbell rang. Dale paid for the pizza, and people started to grab slices. Dale grabbed the wings he ordered for himself and offered some to Clare. She normally was not a fan of buffalo wings, but she liked these ones. Maybe the Dot just has bad buffalo wings.

After they ate, the drinking really began. People began downing beers and taking shots of rum. Clare wasn't much of a drinker, so she just sipped away at her rum and coke. Dale normally was a drinker, but he decided to slow it down tonight. For the first time, Clare actually looked at Dale, like really looked. He was quite handsome with his dark hair, big brown eyes, smile, and he looked quite formidable. He caught her gaze. "Did you want to see the roof?"

"Sure."

* * *

The two went off. The roof was nice. It had a pool, furniture and you could see the skyline. The two sat down and really began to talk about themselves.

Dale told her about his older sister, Lorelei and his parents who were both in law enforcement. She was at Yale, and he was trying to pick schools for next year. He was likely going on a football scholarship and was thinking about UT Austin. Clare told him about her sister Darcy, who was still in Kenya, and how her mother had remarried, and how she used to date Jake and how she, Adam and Eli were the best of friends, and she didn't know what to do now.

"You'll figure it out," Dale told her. Man, she was beautiful. How did Eli just let her get away?

"I hope so." Clare didn't want to think about Eli. It just made her sad, and he made his choice. He didn't even try to stop her, not that she would have listened.

Dale's hands went through her hair again. Clare really enjoyed his touch.

Clare asked him about his dating past. He had three girlfriends before. The first one ended it when she went to Stanford for college. She was a senior when he was a freshman. The next girlfriend got arrested for drugs, and she tried to blame him for it, so he dumped her. The third girlfriend found out she was pregnant and it was her ex's, so he ended it, so they could try to make it work. He had a couple of hookups in between, but he used protection, got a clean bill of health on his last check up and never cheated. If he wanted out, he got out. Clare told him about K.C. and how he ran to Jenna the first chance he got. She had already told him about Eli and Jake. The next thing they knew, the party was on the roof.

Jenny had rolled some joints, and they were ready to smoke. Clare had never done any drugs, even when she lived with Summer. She wasn't going to take any, but then she saw Dale take a puff and exhale. He just assumed she smoked instead of drinking. She was Canadian after all.

Clare took the joint from his hand and mimicked him. That tasted weird. She exhaled. Her mind started to feel floaty.

They kept passing the joint until it was gone. Clare felt giddy. It was nice to feel good. She felt something on her stomach; it was Dale rubbing her. She smiled at him.

"Would you like a massage?"

"Yes."

His hands started with her shoulders and he began to rub her. He had strong hands which felt very nice. He found the knots in her back and forced them out, causing her to groan, "Don't stop."

The others chuckled as his hands made their way down her back, to her lower back onto her hands and then, he began to massage her feet.

"That tickles," she giggled as his hands rubbed her.

Helen called Clare, but her phone was in the apartment. When she couldn't get an answer, she called Eli, asking him to put her on the phone.

"I can't do that," he said.

"Why not?"

"Because she's not here."

"Where is she!"

"Pizza with Lenore. I had a tummy ache so I stayed home," he lied.

"Oh! Well tell her to call when she gets in."

"I will." SHIT! He lost Clare. Her mother was on his case. What a shit birthday!

Clare didn't want Dale to stop touching her. Her eyes looked sad when her massage ended. Dale didn't want to stop touching her, but he was getting too tempted by her soft flesh. She just broke up with her boyfriend. She didn't need him trying to go for it, although he really wanted her.

Everyone else could see how they longed for each other. Jenny asked Clare if she could help her with something. Steve went to talk to Dale.

"So Dale's a nice guy," Jenny started as they went to the kitchen.

Clare blushed. "He is."

"Do you like him?" Jenny was making rum punch.

"I don't know. I just broke up with someone and …."

"Steve told me about that."

"He did?" How did he know? Kirk must have told him.

"Look. You're only here for two days right."

"Yeah."

"Then why not have some fun."

Steve and Dale were setting up the hookah

"So Clare's a pretty girl."

"Isn't she gorgeous? I can't believe that cad was cheating on her."

"So make your move."

"But they just broke up. She must be reeling."

"She's been smiling at you, a lot. Make her feel good. Make her forget about that scumbag."

"But what if I scare her away?"

"All you have to do is ask."

The girls came back with the punch. The boys started the hookah. Clare didn't know what it was.

"It's flavored tobacco," Steve started.

"Let's shotgun it," Jenny told him.

"What's that?" Clare was even more confused. Jenny and Steve demonstrate. He inhaled some and exhaled into Jenny's mouth.

"Why don't you show her, Dale?"

"Do you want to?" He whispered into her ear. She nodded.

* * *

Dale inhaled some smoke. He pulled Clare towards him and exhaled into her. His lips were fruity and soft. Clare lost most of the smoke, but she didn't care. Her fingers found his hair, and she began to kiss him. His hands found her waist, and he pulled her closer. Their tongues started to slowly dance about, and it wasn't long before they were lying down on the ground. The others continued to smoke and drink and the two teenagers were lost in their own world.

Clare couldn't believe she was on top of a guy who was practically a stranger, all though he felt like he was an old friend at this point. He was just so honest and open, no secrets, no hidden doors. He wore his heart on his sleeve. Dale wanted to be on top. He flipped Clare onto her back and began to kiss her neck and jawline. She moaned out loud as he switched sides and began to kiss her collarbone. "Let's go behind the vent," he whispered into her ear. He wanted them to have a bit of privacy. They were right next to their friends at the moment. They went to the other side. Jenny and Steve grinned at each other.

Kirk was stunned. Clare was a crying mess when they found her and she was already head over heels for Dale. How did he work so fast? He must be magic. Kirk went down to his apartment to go to the bathroom, when he saw Clare's phone. She had a bunch of missed calls from mom. She called again. He answered. "Hello?"

"Eli, is that you? Can you put Clare on the phone, now?"

"I'm Kirk, and I can go get Clare."

Whodafuck is Kirk? He went to hand the phone to Clare, who was being necked by Dale. Maybe he shouldn't give her the phone right now. Clare spotted him. "Is that my phone?"

"Yeah, your mom's on the line." Clare stuck out her hand.

"Hi Mom!"

"Clare, where the hell have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours."

"Sorry mom, I forgot my phone in Kirk's apartment."

"Who's Kirk?"

"He's my friend."

"Where's Eli?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since we broke up."

"You broke up? He said you were with his roommate eating pizza."

"Well, he lied. (What's new) I'm staying with my new friends this weekend."

"You just met them. Like hell you are."

"Well, I'm not going back to Eli and his new girlfriend."

"He has a new... Clare I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Mom. I'm fine, and I'll see you on Sunday. I'll call tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

"Stay safe." Helen ought to fly out there and drag her home, but Glen calmed her down. She's at the university. We'll be able to find her if something happens.

"Now, where were we?" Clare pulled Dale back on to her and he continued to rub her stomach as he nibbled on her neck. She moaned. "Don't stop. Keep touching me."

Dale's hands moved slowly up her sides and began to rub the sides of her breasts. She grunted and he moved until he got to her nipples. He teased them until they hardened in his hand and he rubbed her breasts, slow circles at first which became firmer and rougher. Clare was in heaven. She had never let Eli go this far, and she didn't think a guy's hands could be so magical. Dale made her want to be touched. "Can I go under your shirt?" He asked her.

"Please do."

His hands started at her stomach, but soon, he found her breasts and began to knead her tender flesh. She cried out as he pulled on her nipples and soon, she was completely on fire. He managed to kiss her as he was groping her breasts and soon, they were facing each other.

Jenny yelled, "time for body shots," breaking their concentration.

"What's a body shot?" Damn, Clare was cute.

Steve did a body shot on Jenny. He put some salt on Jenny's neck and a tequila shot between her breasts. He licked the salt off and took the shot with his mouth, pouring it down his throat.

"Do you want to do a shot off me?" Clare asked him.

Dale nodded. He put the salt on her neck and put the shot glass between her breasts. He spilled some of the tequila as he poured it, so he licked it up afterwards. Clare blushed, feeling his hot tongue on the valley of her breasts.

The boys did shots off the girls and Dale offered Clare a shot off of his abs. He took off his shirt, revealing his large pecs and 8-pack abs. He looked like a god. She licked salt of his neck and then put her tongue at his navel, and he poured the shot down, her sucking the booze from his body. She blushed, having never licked a guy before. Dale kissed her and the two began rolling about on the roof, tussling for position. Clare ended up on top, of course he let her win, and she began to cover his neck and chest in kisses and bites. Her eyes were stunning, and they cut right through him as she looked at him. He grabbed her and pulled her close. "I want to make you feel good."

Clare turned beet red.

"Can I touch you?"

She nodded and his hands found her breasts again, softly kneading them as he kissed his way down her stomach to her hips. He began to kiss her thighs, slowly covering them inch by inch as she widened them for him. He began to rub her through her shorts, and she was clearly wet for him. He grinned as he continued to add pressure, finding her clit through the fabric and making her squeal. She bucked her hips forward and he slipped his hands up her shorts and around her panties, finding her raw clit and stroking it. She gasped as Dale continued to rub her. He slipped a finger into her wetness and began to pump it in and out. Clare didn't care who was around, all she could see was Dale and she moaned and muttered as he added a second finger. He moved quickly and deliberately, finding her g-spot and making her squirm as he got her riled up just to back away. He did this a couple of times until she looked ready to burst and then he relented, giving her what she craved. She shrieked, "OH GOD!" as she came, collapsing onto the ground as he withdrew his fingers. She had never had an orgasm before. Eli had never tried to give her one.

Dale let her rest and rested his head on her shoulder. Her hand found his hair and she played with it as they lay side by side.

Kirk and his friends had seen the whole thing. "Damn, he has game," Kirk muttered.

Steve and Jenny were canoodling. "Remember when we were 17 and wanted to fool around all day?" She asked him.

"What are you talking about? I still want to fool around all day."

She kissed him.

* * *

Clare and Dale slept on Kirk's inflatable mattress. Dale took up most of the mattress, so Clare slept on him. In the morning, Clare took a shower and changed back into Friday's clothes which were now dry. She folded p the ones she wore yesterday, so they could be returned. She and Jenny went shopping, to grab Clare a couple of outfits. She got a pink dress with a low neckline, hoping Dale would like it. "He'll love it," Jenny told her.

Clare got a call from a new number. "Hello."

"Are you alright?" It was Lenore. She figured Clare needed space last night, but wanted to check on her.

"I'm fine. Some NYU students found me and let me stay with them."

"I'm so sorry about yesterday."

"But you didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, but I should have realized that something was wrong."

"It's okay. I'm okay. I'll be just fine," Clare finally believed it. She was just ready to go back when she ran into the girl from yesterday, speak of the devil. Clare hadn't seen her face, but she knew the earrings, peacock with a jewel in the middle.

Clare was ready to bolt when the girl grabbed her arm, "Can we talk? Please!"

Clare stopped. "If you want Eli, then you can have him."

"I don't want that jerk. He told me you were his sister. I believed him." The girl looked ready to cry. She told Clare about how they were film partners and when she asked him who you were, having seen your picture in his room, he said you were his half-sister, and you were really close. She didn't realize he was lying until you screamed and ran out. She thought that Eli really liked her, but she had just been played.

Clare felt bad for her. She seemed nice enough. Lenore appeared, having seen them in the window.

"What are you doing here?" Lenore seethed.

"It's not her fault," Clare told her. "The only bad guy here is Eli."

Lenore scoffed. "Maybe you're right."

Clare told Lenore that she and her new friends would be sight-seeing if she wanted to join. Lenore said she would be too busy thinking of ways to make Eli suffer. She gave Clare back her money, since all of the stuff she bought she still had, and then she left.

Clare and Meghan parted ways. She and Jenny went back.

"What took so long?" Dale asked as he pulled Clare in for a kiss.

"Oh, I just had a lovely chat with Eli's other girlfriend."

"What? Really."

"Yep. Guess NYU's a small world after all."

* * *

Clare, Dale, Kirk, Jenny and Steve went sight-seeing. They went to the Met, Central Park, the history museum. They had just stopped for ice cream, when Eli appeared. "Can we talk?" Lenore reluctantly told Eli where Clare would be that day. She didn't think he deserved another chance, and she hoped Clare wouldn't give him one. She hoped that Clare slapped him in the face.

Jenny looked ready to slap him. Steve wanted to punch him, and Kirk wanted to kick him in the nuts. Dale wanted to thank him for being a moron and sending Clare to him.

Clare gave him a chance to explain. They walked away from the group. He started saying he was depressed and he missed her and he just met Meghan and they got drunk when they were supposed to be working together and he didn't mean for it to happen. Clare wasn't having it.

"So you didn't tell her I was your sister?"

His face fell. How did she know that?

"Save it Eli. Meghan already apologized to me. She told me all about the little game you were playing with both of us."

"Clare I."

"Don't you Clare me? Do you have any idea what I did for you? I got a job at the Dot waiting tables, dealing with rude teenagers and their bullshit, so I could save enough money and fly down here for your birthday. I got candles and chocolate and wine and rose petals and lingerie. I was going to give myself to you, and then when I go to set up your room, I find you balls deep in another girl. How do you think that made me feel?"

Eli was stunned. She was coming here to have sex with him. SHIT!

"I..."

"I don't want to hear it. I was going to let you explain, but then you just gave me some lies. I don't want to hear anymore of them. We're done. Don't call me. Don't message me. Don't even look at me or utter my name. You don't exist anymore. We never met."

Clare stormed off. The hell with him!

"Are you okay?" Dale asked her as she returned.

"Never better, let's go team!" They were off. Eli just watched her walk out of his life. Who the hell was that guy holding her hand?

* * *

Clare had a great afternoon. They all went to dinner and got sushi. Then, it was time for a club. Clare didn't think she could get in, but when the bouncer saw her chest, he let her go by without showing ID. Dale looked 25 anyway and the others were either old enough or had fakes.

Dale bought her drinks over her objections. He didn't want her buying them because bartenders have a way of over pouring for pretty girls.

They danced aggressively on the floor. She pulled Dale to her by his collar and shamelessly ground her hips into him. He was starting to get very aroused, but when he tried to slow her down, she would speed right up. They played this cat and mouse game on the floor. Finally, they leaned into a kiss. Dale was slow and gentle, Clare eager and aggressive. He towered over her, the contrast between the two stunning the crowd. Finally, he broke the kiss, his back starting to got annoyed with him.

"Why are you so short?"

"Why are you freakishly tall?"

"I'm not a freak," he feigned being offended.

A couch opened up. Dale lead her to it, and they resumed making out. Kirk started dancing with a girl from his physics class. Her name was Amy. She was looking for Mr. right now, and Kirk would do.

* * *

Eli was on the phone with Adam. He called, knowing that Clare had gone to visit him for his birthday. "We broke up," Eli told him.

"Why? She was so excited to see you."

"I fucked up." Eli was sure that Clare would tell Adam all about it when she got back, so he decided to just tell him straight. "I started seeing another girl and …."

"You cheated on Clare! Why didn't you just break up with her?"

"It was supposed to just be a one time thing, but it just kept happening. Clare saw us together." He didn't mention what they were doing.

"What happened next?"

"She ran off and I tried to find her, but I couldn't. She got away too fast." Okay, Eli lied a little, but Clare doesn't know that he stayed put.

Adam was shaken. His two best friends had been through so much together; he was sure they figured it out this time, but here they go again. He just stayed on the line.

"Adam, say something!"

"What do I say? I don't know what to say."

The only thing worse than Adam yelling at him was Adam too freaked out to even yell. He was incapable of reacting; that's how bad this situation was. He just lost his girlfriend and his side girlfriend and his roommate couldn't stand the sight of him, and now his best friend was slipping away.

"Say that I can fix this. Say that we can get past this."

Adam felt stuck. He didn't want to lose Eli as a friend, but he didn't want to lose Clare either. Did he have to pick sides? He hadn't before, but this was different. Eli screwed up big. "Look. I'll talk to Clare when she comes home and we'll take it from there."

"You'll do that for me."

Adam was doing it for himself, but why not? "Sure. I will talk to her and see how she feels."

"You're the best."

Then why do I feel like shit? Adam hung up the phone. Drew saw him, looking annoyed.

"What's going on?"

"Clare went to surprise Eli for his birthday, but when she got there, she found him with another girl, and now Eli wants me to help him get Clare back."

"That's tough, man."

"What do I do? Eli's my friend, but he's put Clare through a lot. Maybe they should just stay broken up."

Drew was no saint himself, so he didn't have much moral high ground to stand on. "There's no harm in asking her, but I wouldn't try and push her into Eli's arms. She might just get mad at you too."

Adam sighed. "Why me?"

"Cause you're just unlucky."

Adam punched his arm.

"Not my fault. I was born lucky."

The night continued. Kurt and Amy were getting ready to leave. He had already given Dale his spare key, so they should be just fine. Steve and Jenny were getting ready to go to a new club.

Dale looked up and saw his friends ready to go. "Do we join them?"

Clare wanted him, and only him. "Let's head back to the apartment."

"You sleepy?"

"No." He didn't need to be told that twice. He and Clare headed back. When they got there, Clare realized they were home alone for the rest of the night. Kirk went with that girl and tomorrow, she would be in Toronto, thousands of miles from Dale. She started to get sad.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, seeing the distress in her eyes.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want to go. But tomorrow, this will all be gone."

"We're just getting started," he said. "I know Toronto is far, but we have Christmas break, spring break and a whole summer afterwards before we go to college, and who knows, maybe we'll be at the same one. UT-Austin has a great journalism program."

"It does?" Clare hadn't heard of it before Dale told her about it yesterday.

"Yeah, and Austin has great food, music, people. We could have a lot of fun."

"You won't get sick of me?" All of Clare's other boyfriends seemed to be.

"Never. I'm not going anywhere. I'm all in."

"Me too." Going from one long-distance relationship to another hardly seemed wise, but Clare couldn't see herself letting him go. He was everything right now.

"We can write to each other. We can even visit schools at the same time." This could make many more visits during the year.

"I'd like that."

They sealed the deal with a kiss. Clare started tugging at his hair again, and they went from the couch to the inflatable mattress on the floor. He started kissing her neck and shoulders and then her collarbone and chest. She moaned as his hands went up her sides. He teased her breasts and her stomach, making her hot all over. He found himself in between her legs, kissing her thighs and rubbing her calves. She grunted as he toyed with her. Soon, he was by her ear. "Can I please you again?"

"Please do."

He pushed up her dress and pulled her panties out of the way. "Can I use my tongue?"

Clare nodded, not really thinking about what he just asked until she felt his hot tongue on her clit. "Oh GOD!"

He slowly teased her with his tongue, moving around her folds like they were a maze. She squirmed and writhed beneath him, hoping he would just get to work. He grinned, not that she could see him. She was just where he wanted her, and he slowly sucked her clit into his mouth. She bucked her hips, harshly, and he let her go. His tongue found her hole and began to probe her. He explored her wetness, his tongue a nomad wondering inside of her. He used his fingers to trace along her pussy, and he had his fun, bringing her to the edge just to slow down and do it again. Eventually, she had enough. She started pulling on his hair, trying to get him closer, trying to get some type of relief. He liked her aggression and decided that she had enough torment for one evening. He pushed his fingers inside of her and sucked on her clit. It only took about 30 seconds of this for her to have an orgasm. He kept going, getting a second one and a third one out of her before she pushed his head away. He removed his fingers as she flailed on the mattress, gasping for air. Her mind was completely frazzled, her hormones in overdrive, as she panted. Dale liked seeing her undone. He went to wash his face. He came back and Clare covered him in kisses, taking off his shirt, so she could kiss his chest and stomach. Her hand grazed his trousers, and she could feel the tension.

"Is someone excited to see me?" she teased as she stroked him through his pants. He just grunted. She liked making him squirm. She unbuckled his belt and pulled him out of his pants and boxers. He was huge. She just stared at it for a moment. Her small hand wrapped around him, as she slowly began to stroke. He growled as she teased him, carefully moving at the same pace. She licked the head. He was salty, and her tongue made him jump. She grinned as she sucked the head into her mouth. Needless to say, she had never done this before. She sucked carefully, trying to avoid using her teeth as her hand stroked the rest. She just did what came naturally, which was to alternate licking and sucking and stroke his shaft.

Dale was trembling. He was very close. "I'm going to cum," he warned, but she didn't realize how fast it would come out. She tried to swallow, but she kind of lost control of him, and he ended up cumming all over her face. She giggled. He was very sticky.

"Sorry about that."

Clare couldn't stop laughing. Finally, she decided it was time to get up and wash her face. They went to bed.

In the morning, they watched the rest of "Howl's Moving Castle." Kirk came home and they went to brunch before Clare and Dale had to go back to the airport. Dale kissed her goodbye and told her too call him tonight. "It will take me about 6 hours to get to CA."

"I will." They kissed again and then she was off. She had to go through customs, yet again.


	3. Chapter 3

Clare got back to Toronto, and her mother hugged her. "I'm so glad to see you." Helen had been worried. First, Clare was missing. Then, she was staying with random guys because Eli and her broke up, but now she was home, safe and sound. Next time she wanted to travel, Helen was sending her with someone. Jake had already gone back to his apartment. He had school on Monday.

Clare was surprised to see her dad waiting for her when she got home. Helen had called him when she couldn't find Clare. He just wanted to see that she was alright. He was about to head out, when Clare stopped him. "Can we talk?" She walked off with her dad, telling him about her attempt to surprise Eli for his birthday (she left out the plan for sex) and seeing him with another woman. Dad felt like he was Eli in this story and his wife was Helen, except he didn't physically get caught.

"Look, Eli's a jerk. I was a jerk. There's no excuse and there's no magic words we can utter that can make our bad actions go away. I'm sorry about the way things ended with your mom, but it needed to end. We weren't right for each other, as much as we wanted to be, we couldn't change that. I wish Eli had been honest enough to just say it. I wish I had been, too."

Clare hugged her dad. He screwed up, but he was still her dad. "Don't be a stranger. I hope I don't have to run away again to get you to visit me."

"You won't. I promise."

* * *

Clare got home. Randall headed out. She went to her room and headed upstairs. She went on her facerange and ended her relationship with Eli, digitally. She then took down the photos she had of them. It was less than 5 minutes before Alli called her.

"Clare, what happened?"

"Do you want to come over? It's a long story."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Clare found Dale Howard on facerange and added him. He was still in the air. She looked and Jenny had added her as a friend. She accepted the request and added Steve. She went to add Kirk, when her mom knocked on her door. "Did you want to talk?"

"Alli's coming soon. I'll tell you both at once, since I don't want to tell the story more times than I have to."

Of course, Adam called next. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I swear everyone's panicking about me. I'm about to tell my sordid story if you want to come over too."

"Be there in 15."

Clare added Kirk, and then she went to get some milk. Alli arrived with Jenna and Clare said that Adam was on his way too. Wow, since when did breaking up make you popular?

Drew drove Adam to Clare's house and he got ready to leave. Clare was at the door. "You may as well hear this too, since it's a party now."

* * *

Drew came inside. Clare gathered everyone around the table. She started at the beginning. Lenore picked her up and then went to the apartment. They got pizza. Eli said he was at the library. Clare went into his room to surprise him and to her surprise, he was there with another girl.

"What were they doing?" Jenna asked her.

"Playing Scrabble." Clare said sarcastically.

"What?" Clare glared at her. "That was a joke, wasn't it?"

"They were going at it."

"Like making out?" Drew asked.

"No!" She said slowly. Everyone shut up at that point. "I screamed and ran out. The next thing I knew it was pouring, and I was lost, and I didn't have anyone to call. This guy approached me and offered to take me with him, so I could be warm and dry. I didn't know him, but I realized I wasn't in the best neighborhood, and I had no better prospects at the moment, so I went with him."

"You went with a stranger," Alli scolded.

"He showed me his ID. He was in high school too, although he looked a lot older. Anyway, he was visiting his friend, Kirk who went to NYU, and Kirk's NYU friends came over for a party." Clare left out the drinking and the smoking. "Dale and I went on to the roof, and we hung out and then I went to sleep on Kirk's inflatable mattress and the next day, Jenny and I went to get some clothes and then we ran into Meghan, who was Eli's other girlfriend. She started apologizing. Apparently, Eli told her that I was his sister, and she was duped too, anyway. Lenore came by, and she was also mad at Eli."

"Who's Lenore?"

"His roommate. Anyway, I went with my new friends sight-seeing. We went to some museums. Eli came by and tried to apologize, but I already knew he was lying about him and Meghan, so I told him off, and then I went to dinner and dancing, and then I started dating Dale, and then I went to bed and now I'm home."

* * *

"Wait, you have a new boyfriend already?" Adam was more stunned by that than anything else.

"It kind of just happened."

"Where does he live?" Jenna asked

"Los Angeles."

"California!" Adam yelled. What the hell was she thinking."

"Yeah. It's far, I know, but I think we can make it work."

"You've known him for like a day." Alli was more than a little skeptical.

"Good for you," Drew added. Drew knew what it was like to be in a relationship where everyone else disapproved. He had Clare's back.

"What!" said everyone.

"She should be happy, after all that Eli put her through. So what if it's sudden."

Everyone thought Drew was crazy. Clare smiled. "Thanks, Drew." Clare was happy, very happy.

"What do you even know about this guy?" Adam inquired.

"He's 17, and will be 18 in December. He plays football; I think he's a tight end (whatever that means). He's looking to get recruited by UT-Austin. He has an older sister at Yale, and his father's in the FBI. His mother works for the prosecutor's office. He plays the drums. His favorite director is Miyazaki and his favorite book is The Shawshank Redemption."

"Are you going to visit him?" Jenna asked.

"I hope so," Clare said as her mother said, "No Way!"

"Why not?"

"After what happened with you visiting Eli, I'm not sure I want you going anywhere by yourself, especially not for someone you have only known for a day."

"But I was fine in the end, and I will have known him for much longer by the time that I would want to visit."

"Maybe she will have known him for a week," Adam retorted.

"What has gotten into you?"

"What has gotten into me? I'll tell you what's into me. My two best friends have been getting back together and breaking up for the past two years. I finally think they have their act together and all is merry and the next thing I know, it's a fiery explosion, and you run into the arms of literally, the first guy you see. I just don't want you to get hurt in a rebound relationship with an American stranger."

"I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. Maybe it won't workout with Dale. I'm okay with that because I know whatever happens, I'm strong enough to handle it."

Adam sighed, "if you're really happy."

"I am."

"Then, I'm happy for you." What the fuck do I tell Eli?

* * *

Clare wanted her best buddy on board. She needed him.

"Well, I want to see how good this guy is at football. Texas has a serious program."

Alli rolled her eyes at him. "Of course that's what you would think about."

"His goal is to join the NFL," Clare told him.

"Really? What are his stats?"

"Huh!"

"Height, weight, 40 time."

"He's about 2 meters tall, I think around 100 kilos, but maybe more and..."

"Wait he's how tall?"

Clare stood up and put up her arm.

"Dang! Really."

"And he's got muscles everywhere."

Helen looked at her.

"What? We didn't do anything." That you need to worry about.

She sighed. "I'm just worried that you're moving too fast."

"I was worried about you and Glen moving too fast, but it was right for you. I think he's right for me."

Helen couldn't argue there. She and her daughter were more alike than she had thought.

After a long talk, it was time for food. Clare went out to dinner with all of her friends. Helen and Glen had the house to themselves.

They were all at the Dot. Everyone with eyes on Clare. Facerange news spread really fast. Clare looked at the time. "Time to call Dale." She gave him a ring.

"Hey, Baby. How was your flight?"

"It was good. How was yours?"

Clare's friends continued to chat as Clare spoke with Dale. Adam noticed how happy she was when he answered the phone.

Drew noticed that Clare was on her phone. "Is that Dale?"

Adam nodded. Drew snatched her phone.

"Hey!" Clare tried to get it back. Drew started talking football with him.

"...Really, your 40 time is what? ….I'll believe it when I see it. ….You have a youtube video. What's your channel?" Clare wanted her phone back, but Drew was too big.

"I think Drew just stole your boyfriend," Jenna joked. Everyone was laughing. Clare pouted and folded her arms. When Drew sat down, Clare yanked her phone back.

"Sorry about that."

"No it was pretty funny."

"Maybe I should bring him with me to visit you," like hell Clare was going to do that. They would have a football bro-fest.

"When are you coming?"

"I'm trying to get my mom to let me go during Thanksgiving."

"You mean Canadian Thanksgiving, the real one's in November."

"Shut up!"

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your boyfriend," Drew chided.

Clare stuck out her tongue.

"What do see in her anyway," he teased.

"Drew would make a better girlfriend," Jenna added.

Drew shut up after that.

"Well, hopefully, your mom will say yes. My mom's already excited to meet you."

"Really."

"Yeah, my parents kind of met in a weird way, so she was all excited about you."

"Well, you'll have to tell me about it."

"Well, you'll have to meet them for yourself and hear about it."

"Goodbye Dale."

"Bye Clare."

Drew pulled up Dale's youtube channel on his phone. "I don't believe this. He actually ran a 4.4 at his size, that's crazy!"

Everyone was laughing. Adam got a phone call. He stepped outside. "Hey, Eli."

"Did you talk to Clare?"

"I did."

"And..." Come on dude. What's the verdict?

"She has a new boyfriend."

"WHAT THE FUCK!" She must be trying to make him jealous.

"I know. It's really sudden, but she's smitten."

"She can't be. She's on the rebound."

"That's what I thought, but I heard her on the phone with him. Her eyes lit up and she was grinning like a kid at Christmas."

"Who is this guy?"

"She met him in New York. He found her in the rain."

"She literally ran into the arms of the first guy she saw."

"She did, and she's already talking about visiting him in California."

"CALIFORNIA!"

"Calm down. Her mom's not going to let her go."

Eli was hyperventilating. He knew Clare was mad, but he figured she'd calm down when she went home and realized how much she had missed him. Apparently, she forgot all about him. "What do I do?"

"Move on," Adam told him. He did not need Eli coming up with crazy schemes, not again.

"I can't just move on."

"You have to. She's done."

Eli hung up. He did not like this at all. Adam went back inside. He shook his head

It was time for Clare to head home. Dale had accepted her friend request and changed his facerange status, "in a relationship with Clare Edwards." She confirmed.

Everyone was shocked on Monday. Clare started the weekend with one boyfriend and ended it with another. Did she ditch Eli for a new man? How did she get a boyfriend in California? She let the rumors fly. She didn't care what they thought. She was happy as a clam.

Jake saw her status, and he was like what the heck? He thought about calling her but changed his mind. He was not getting in between his friends, and this was their mess.

Eli saw her status too, even though she had defriended him. Who was this guy? His facerange only let friends see who he was. All he could tell was that this guy lived in California and was a senior in high school. He also had a picture of himself with a blonde chick (who was his older sister Lorelei). Eli hoped they would break up, but they didn't and eventually, he gave up and went on to fuck various NYU bitches. None of them made him happy. He didn't even know what happiness was anymore.

Over the months, Clare and Dale stayed in close contact. They Skyped almost every day. Clare followed his youtube channel, where he would take his best footage from games and put them online. He also put up videos of his band playing. Clare would send him articles she wrote for the paper and pictures that she took around the city. They even managed to schedule in a couple of visits.

Clare came down in November and was able to see a football game of his. Dale came to Toronto after Christmas and stayed until New Years. It was New Years Eve, when she gave him her virginity.


	4. Chapter 4

RECAP

They went to a party thrown by Drew, Adam, and Dallas. Dale finally met all of Clare's friends. He was quite formidable, more than his pictures or videos suggested. Adam was a bit cold at first, but even he came around to realize that he was a good guy who was crazy about Clare. There was a bunch of spin the bottle and 7 minutes in heaven and drinking to fuel the affair. Audra and Omar had gone to Boston to have a romantic holiday, just the two of them. Surprisingly, Audra trusted the boys alone in the house.

Dale had some help from Jake to plan a surprise for Clare. While they were at the party, he set up he room, candles, rose pedals, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and cherries and of course mistletoe as it was the season. Dale got Clare to come home early after the party. She was surprised that he didn't want to stay for the New Year and drink with the others. When they got home, Clare noticed the mistletoe and kissed him right away. He carried her, not breaking the kiss until they got to her bedroom where he unveiled his surprise for her. She was floored. He knew exactly what she wanted and here it was, waiting for her. She kissed him, told him it was wonderful, and then she grabbed a bag from her closet and ran into the bathroom. Dale sat down, unsure if he had been a bit too presumptuous, when she came back, wearing red and white lingerie. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you more." She always said that.

They opened the champagne and had a glass and they proceeded to feed each other the chocolate-covered fruit. Of course, Dale loved leaving the cherries on her breasts and scooping them up with his tongue. Norah Jones played as they undressed each other carefully. They had a lot of foreplay, tender kisses and touches as they claimed their territory. Dale devoured her and used his hands to prepare her as much as he could. He offered her another glass of champagne to help her relax. After she drank it, his lips affixed to hers. He reached for a condom, but Clare stopped him.

"I'm on the pill, and I want to feel you."

He kissed her neck and slowly pushed his way inside of her. The first couple of inches were fine, but then where the pain started to kick in. Dale went slowly, but Clare was really tight. He told her to bite him as he noticed her eyes watering, and she sank her teeth into his shoulder. He kept going, stopping as she would tense up and continuing as she would relax. Eventually, she started to feel some pleasure, but there was still a lot of pain. Dale tried not to go all of the way in her just yet, but she was still having trouble with him. He kissed her softly and began to rub her clit with his thumb. This helped her relax and feel good until he was done. He came inside of her and held her as he slowly withdrew.

She was a woman now, and the clock was about to strike midnight.

"Happy New Year, Baby." They kissed as the fireworks went off in the city. Dale had school on the third, so he had to leave on the second. They had one more time together before he had to fly back.

* * *

Clare came to visit him during her spring break. They went at it like jackrabbits. It was her first time having sex on the beach (too sandy), in a car (kind of cramped), in a movie theater (that was fun), at a house party (too many bros- they kept cheering, which was weird), and their first time in a hot tub (perfect).

RECAP

Dale's parents went to help their niece move, leaving Clare and Dale in the house. They have a hot tube, so Dale suggested that they share a joint outside while they chatted. The hot tub had speakers and music was playing as they relaxed together. Weed had a way of making Clare horny. She didn't smoke a lot. If she did, she was with Dale. She kissed him, pressing her body into him as he pulled her into his lap. They had a great morning. Clare had just committed to UT Austin, so she and Dale would be going to school together. They offered her a journalism scholarship, which came with a summer internship in Washington D.C. after her freshman year. This time, her mentor would be a woman. He was teasing her breasts with his mouth, knowing exactly how to get her hot and she was stroking him, her hand finding it's way into his swim trunks. He pulled her out of the water and put her on the edge.

Then he pushed down her bikini bottoms and pushed inside of her. She grunted as she took all of him at once. She was hot and cold at the same time as the warm water was evaporating off her skin. She breathed heavily as he pistoned in and out of her, his teeth finding her neck as his hand teased her breast. He would alternate between the two, always keeping one arm around her body as he held her close. She came for him, but he was still hard. He flipped her over and she rode him, her hands on his shoulders as she took control. Sh wanted to cum again and she did. He grabbed onto her hips and began to pound her, roughly until they came together. They went inside and dried off and then cuddled for what felt like hours until they fell asleep.

Clare came back from her trip feeling very satisfied. She couldn't wait until Dale took her to prom. Little did she know, Dale would be coming before her prom. He took all APs that year, so his classes ended after his exams. He did his final projects early, so he could visit Clare until her prom and then bring her back for his prom. His senior week events were a week after hers. Clare expected her Friday to be normal and it was, until she saw a tall, handsome man waiting on the steps. "Dale!" She screamed as she ditched her bag and ran to him. She jumped into his arms and he kissed her, affectionately. The whole school saw Clare's mystery man. He put her down. "Ready to go?"

"I have to get my bag. I kind of dropped it when I saw you."

Clare went to get her stuff, and they got into her car. It was a present from her dad for getting a scholarship for college. They drove to her house, where Helen was very surprised to see him.

"What the hell?"

* * *

"Way to be rude mother."

"Where are my manners? Dale, it's nice to see you. Clare didn't tell me you were coming."

"I surprised her."

"How nice!" Helen was not amused. Glen was still at work. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

"I made dinner reservations," Dale said.

"You did?" Clare looked at him.

"That's why I sent you the dress."

"What dress?"

The UPS guy came, perfect timing, and brought Clare a package from Nordstroms.

Clare opened it. What a dress! Black, shimmery, halter cut. "This is beautiful."

"Tonight, we dine in style."

Clare beamed, where was he taking me?

Clare got a call from Alli. "When are you coming over?"

"What?"

"Girls night, Clare."

"I forgot. I can't go tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Dale came to surprise me, and he made dinner plans."

"Dale is HERE!"

"Yes. He came to see me after class."

"Well, have fun. You'll miss all the good gossip."

"You'll tell me tomorrow."

"Will not." Of course she would.

Clare hung up. "What time is the reservation?"

"7PM and it's about a 40 minute drive from here. I checked on google maps."

"Where is this place?" Helen inquired.

"It's a surprise, but it has great reviews."

* * *

Glen came home, surprised to find Dale on his couch, drinking his soda. "Hi Glen!"

"Does your mother know you're here?"

"She drove me to the airport."

"And she thought surprising your girlfriend was a good idea?"

"She suggested it. She loves surprises, especially, when she's not the one being surprised."

Glen laughed. This woman must be kooky.

Clare showered and began to change into her dress. Dale took a shower and then put on his suit. He was waiting for her downstairs when she walked down, wearing pumps and beautiful diamond earrings. She looked like a movie star. He kissed her softly, careful not to mess with her makeup. "You look fabulous."

Helen took a picture. It was quite a sight. It wasn't every day that a boy came for Clare in a suit.

They posed, and then they were off. Dale drove since Clare didn't know where he was taking her. He took her to Le Fromage, the nicest French restaurant in the area. They had a three course menu and a couple's menu. They opted for the couple menu which included a bottle of pinot noir, a raw oyster platter, roasted duck breasts on a bed of spring greens and a side of truffade (potato cheesy goodness) and a decadent chocolate cake for dessert. The restaurant didn't have the prices on the menu, meaning this place was expensive.

The waiter poured them each a glass of wine. Dale sipped slowly, not wanting to drink too much as he had to get them home. Clare enjoyed this wine. It was not too sweet but not too acidic either. It felt nice in her mouth, a good body as they say. This was amazing. Everyone looked so nice dressed up. Dale looked amazing in his suit. Dale hated buying suits. He was really big, but not fat, so he had to get them custom made, which was a pain, but this was well worth it. He wanted a perfect night for Clare.

The oysters came. Clare had never had raw oysters before. They were cold, duh, and a bit hard to chew. Dale ate his easily, so Clare tried to keep up.

Clare told him that her best friend's birthday party was tomorrow and everyone would be happy to see him.

"I'll have to get a present," he said. "Will you shop with me tomorrow?"

Clare loved shopping. "Of course."

The main course came next. The duck was seasoned with sage. It was divine. They each had a duck breast and some greens and the truffade was amazing. It was cheesy and gooey and so good. Clare was amazed that food could taste this good. When you work at the Dot, you forget that grownups eat elsewhere.

"You didn't have to do this," she told him, but she was very grateful that he did.

"I wanted to, Baby. You mean the world to me."

Clare gave him a kiss and then had some more wine to counteract the fattiness of the food and then it was time for dessert. The chocolate cake was almost too chocolatey, but oh so good. It had whipped cream to help counteract the cake. She could taste a bit of whiskey in the cream. After dessert, Dale took the check, not letting Clare see the price, and the waiter put a cork in the bottle, so they could take the rest home. They drove back to her house.

Glen asked how the dinner was. Helen asked where they went.

"Dale took me to the best French restaurant. The food was amazing. We had duck, oysters and a chocolate cake. The décor was nice. The music was perfect, not too loud and not too monotonous." Clare was beaming.


	5. Chapter 5

"Now that sounds nice," Glen said, and it did. Maybe he should take Helen out somewhere fancy. Don't want to be upstaged by an 18 year old boy in your own home.

"Good night, Mom. Good night Glen." Clare went up to bed. Dale followed her. Clare took off her dress, standing in front of him in a demi-cup bra and a g-string. He pulled her to him, kissing her neck as she took off his shirt. She unbuttoned his pants and pushed them to the floor. He rolled on top of her, demanding access to her flesh as he kissed her breasts and touched her stomach. She opened her legs for him as he kissed his way down her body. He took off her bra and her panties, leaving her naked. Clare pulled off his boxers, leaving him in his tie. Clare grabbed his tie and used it to pull him towards her as she kissed him, the taste of wine and chocolate melding in their mouths as their tongues danced. He took off his tie, not wanting it to catch on something and kissed his way back down Clare's body, and stopping right in front of her sex. She looked at him, eyes full with lust, and he leaned in, carefully licking her. She tried not to cry out, but he made her feel really good and pushed her self-control. He offered her his tie and she bit into it, as he pleasured her with his mouth. She came for him and before she could recover, he thrust into her, pulling his tie away and crashing his lips onto hers. She moaned into his mouth as he pounded her. He hovered over her, supporting his weight on his forearms. She loved it doggie style, as did he, but he knew she would make a lot of noise. Clare loved any position with him. He made her feel amazing all of the time. Knowing he was hers made her feel lucky. She pulled him closer, needing to feel his body on hers. He fell onto her and thrusted intently until she came again and he was soon to follow. They cuddled, and Dale got up.

"Don't leave me." Helen would not be happy to see Dale waking up in her bed, but she didn't care right now.

"I'm not. I was just going to put on pjs."

He put on pajama bottoms, and he gave Clare a t-shirt. "If your mom sees us naked in bed, she'll flip." Clare growled but she put on the shirt. "Plus, I like you in my clothes." They spooned as they slept, and the sun came in, waking them up before they were ready. Clare closed her drapes and got back in bed.

* * *

Before they could go back to sleep, Glen knocked on her door. "I suggest you go to Jake's room before Helen murders you." He didn't want Clare in trouble because that meant that Helen would be too busy keeping track of Clare to spend time with him. Also, knowing her, she might run off with him.

Dale got up and climbed into Jake's bed. He pretended to be asleep when Helen went to wake him up for breakfast. Dale put on a t-shirt and went downstairs. Clare went downstairs with obvious sex hair. Dale smirked. They ate bacon, eggs and toast. After thanking Helen for breakfast, they went upstairs to shower, separately to their chagrin and got dressed. Time to shop for Adam's birthday present.

Clare drove them to the mall. Adam already had lots of games, and Clare didn't know what he would want. Books were kind of boring, unless it's Clare's birthday. "Maybe a sports jersey? What's Adam's favorite team."

Clare shrugged.

"Your his best friend."

"I'm a girl. Maybe we should have brought Drew."

Dale shook his head. Then he saw it, out of the corner of his eye, the perfect leather jacket, black, silver zippers and totally badass. He walked up to it; it looked like Adam's size. Dale bought the jacket and got a gift receipt in case he was wrong on the size or Adam's taste.

"Ready to go?" Clare asked him.

"We could go to Victoria's Secret."

She looked at him.

"They have clothes too."

They went upstairs. Clare looked and new underwear and Dale found a black and white corset that would look amazing on Clare. He handed it to her; as well as a negligee.

Clare went into the dressing room, sure the corset would be too small. She tried it on, and it was perfect. Dale snuck into her dressing room to see her in it.

"You have to wear this to the party tonight."

"What?"

"You look like a sex goddess, which would make me a sex god."

Clare blushed.

"Seriously, put one those tight black jeans you have with this corset and you will knock everyone's socks off."

"Is that what you want?"

"For the hottest lady there to be mine; yes."

He slipped out of the dressing room before he got seen. She got the corset and the negligee and Dale got her some honeydust and fuzzy handcuffs.

They got to the car and went back to her house. She wrapped Adam's present and she got a phone call from Alli.

"How was the dinner you blew me off for?"

"It was lovely." Clare recounted their evening to a jealous Alli.

"So your boyfriend flies thousands of miles to see you, so he could take you to a fancy restaurant, buy you a dress for said fancy restaurant and …."

"... and completely satisfy me in bed afterwards."

"And you just found him on the side of the road."

"Yes."

"I need to go to New York."

Clare and Dale had lunch at the house and hung out during the afternoon. They mostly watched tv except for some kissing, here and there. Clare couldn't believe that she had him for so much time.

Clare went to change into her corset. She wore the jeans that Dale suggested, and she brought a jacket in case she got chilly.

Dale wore a red t-shirt, that his biceps were bursting out of and beige pants. Clare and Dale went to pick up Alli and Jenna. The girls were gossiping in the car, catching Clare up on whatever they missed the day before. They get to Above the Dot, and they all walk in. Alli and Jenna run in first and Clare and Dale follow, Dale holdign Adam's present.

Eli is stunned to see Clare with Dale. Shouldn't his ass be in California and since when did Clare wear such sexy clothes? She wasn't wearing her ring either. So she gave it up to a jock. Clare hadn't noticed his presence yet. She went to hug Adam, who was stunned by her corset. He saw Dale behind her and he got a box.

"Happy Birthday Dude."

"Thanks. You got me something not a book. Can you always shop with Clare?"

"Shut up! Or I'll take it back and buy you books."

Adam laughed. "Drinks are over there, food is the other way and …."

Eli got even more pissed to see Dale hanging out with Adam like they were friends, all laughing together buddy buddy like. Jenna noticed Eli's presence and told Alli. "Is this going to be a problem?" Alli turned around. She went up to Clare.

"Eli's here, and he looks pissed off."

Clare took a breath. She hadn't seen him since NYC, and she didn't want to turn around to face him now. Adam wished that he had told her Eli was coming, but Eli had surprised him. He forgot to call her. Dale took her hand. "You have nothing to worry about."

"What if he starts a scene?" she whispered.

"Then don't react. Don't yell back. Just walk away. I won't let anything happen to you. So let's get a drink."

* * *

He took her get a screwdriver while he got some water. One of the virtues of being big is that he was a perfect shield for Clare.

Clare mingled with her friends as Dale chatted up Drew and Connor. He made sure that he was in between Eli and Clare at all times. If Eli even tried to mess with her, he would get it. Clare started to relax at the party. Eli hadn't actually done anything, and she was hopeful that he actually learned to control his temper, or at least could do it for his best friend's birthday party. Clare and Dale hit the dance floor.

All eyes were on Clare. Her outfit was bold to say the least and she was somewhere on the fine line between slutty and fabulous.

Eli had been hitting the bar pretty hard. Adam was worried about him, but it was his party and he was going to have fun, dammit. Eli said he wouldn't freak out over Clare, and he better not. Adam danced with Becky, enjoying her head on his shoulder.

They took a break for cake and to sing happy birthday. Adam got a vanilla cake with dark chocolate chunks in it and a buttercream frosting. It was delicious. Adam was going to open his presents at home.

Dale was feeling the music, and he had the sexiest girl in the world in his arms. He pulled her closer, and she began to grind against him. She kissed him softly, unaware of the storm looming behind her.

Alli was dancing with Dallas. They didn't quite have a formal relationship, but they were close, made out sometimes, and she liked Rock. He and Alli were kissing on the dance floor, enjoying themselves until they heard a thud. Eli slammed the table, mad because the bartender cut him off.

"You've had enough," he told him.

"Are you kidding? I came home to visit my best friend because it was his birthday and instead I get to see my ex-girlfriend rubbing her junk all over some bum she found in the rain!" Eli went from being quiet to shouting. Everyone looked at him. Dale pulled her close, "ignore him. He isn't there."

Clare tried to take a breath, but she could feel her emotions getting ready to leap out of her chest and slap Eli in the face. Dale kept kissing her neck, whispering into her ear how much he loved her, that Eli was only mad because he was dumb enough to let her go, and now had to see what he lost.

Adam was pissed. His birthday party ruined by Eli's drunken antics. He was ready to punch him, but instead he put Eli in a cab and sent him away. Adam came back with a scowl on his face. Dale realized he needed to save this party, but how?

He went up to Becky. "Did you give Adam his present yet?"

"No."

"Maybe now's the time." Becky went to grab a box and when Adam returned, she handed it to him.

"I'm not in a good mood right now."

"You will be once you open it." She kissed him on the cheek.

He opened his box. It contained a stack of photographs of them, his favorite candy, and a Nintendo DS, with two games.

He couldn't help but smile now. It was all perfect, and all for him. They decided to have Adam open all his presents now. Meanwhile, Dale was working with the DJ to get some songs added to the setlist.

After the presents, the party came back with a vengeance. Ratatat remixes started to play and people started dancing again. Becky pulled Adam onto the dance floor.

Dale grabbed his lady and brought her into his arms. "Do you want to dance some more?"

* * *

"Actually, I'd rather go for a bake and shake." This is what Clare called weed before sex. Dale giggled. They said their goodbyes to the crowd. Clare hugged Adam and then Dale drove them to a park. Clare had some in her purse, but she wasn't good at rolling, so she took out her pipe. She smoked. Dale had to drive and then they got her home. She felt the stress of Eli just float away, and she giggled as he carried her up the stairs, and they started to strip.

Naked, Dale fell onto the bed. Clare straddled him and kissed him. He started to grope her ass and she started to grind on him. He tugged on her nipples with his teeth, making her squirm as he made them hard and sore. Soon, she had enough, and she pushed him inside. She started to ride him. He pressed his mouth on hers, covering her moans as she took control with her hips. It wasn't long before she cried out and came all over him. Still hard, he flipped her over and began to pound her. Her moans became lower and throatier when she was high. Dale caught her mouth with his and kissed her as he plunged in and out, stretching her with his giant dick. The sensations, plus the weed and alcohol, plus her already tender pussy was enough to make her cum a second time and third.

Third time was a charm, and Dale came inside of her, filling her with his seed. Clare pulled him in her arms, wanting him to hold her all night.

"Your mom's going to flip," he cautioned. Dale's mom didn't care. She only had 4 rules with regards to girls 1) no rape 2) no STDs 3) no pregnancy 4) keep it down, which was easy since Dale had soundproofed walls.

"I don't care." She really didn't. She was going to be in college soon, living near Dale, fucking him as much as she wanted. Her mom may as well give up locked the door and resumed cuddling with Clare. She didn't want him to leave her side and he didn't.

* * *

Epilogue

Dale was there for prom and her graduation, and then she went to his prom and his graduation. Being with his family was a hoot. His mother had 3 brothers and all of them brought their families, and his aunt on his father's side was a nut. His sister was there, along with her boyfriend, and it was a lot of love.

Clare and Dale went to NYC for the Fourth of July, where they hung out with Kirk, Steve and Amy. In August, they both moved to Austin where they did NOT room together, until their sophomore year. Clare needed a year of independence, and it treated her well. They got married after he declared for the NFL draft, and he was the #6 pick, which sent him to New Orleans. He and Clare got a house with some of his signing bonus money. She became a journalist, focused on poverty and civil rights abuses within the State. Her goal was to dismantle the school to prison pipeline.

Alli and Dallas stayed friends, but decided not to commit to each other. Dallas eventually married Vanessa, and Alli had a serious boyfriend from MIT, but was not ready to tie the knot yet. Jenna and Connor broke up but stayed friends. He got a job as an engineer and she was in business school. Drew played college football for UCLA, but is now a consultant. He married Bianca who is trying to open up a dance studio. Adam and Becky are engaged. Eli made a successful cult-classic, but he struggled in the relationship department, preferring cheap women and booze to romance. He never found a woman who could love him as much as Clare did.

The END


End file.
